In general, a wireless communication device such as a cellular-phone device is configured to receive a roaming list transmitted from a network of a carrier and store the transmitted roaming list. The wireless communication device is further configured to trace a wireless communication system (mobile communication system), which is communicable with the wireless communication device, based on the stored roaming list. Thus, the wireless communication device performs a wireless communication with the traced wireless communication system. A specification of the roaming list is defined by IS-683A. The roaming list includes a correspondence between an acquisition index and a channel number. The roaming list further includes a correspondence between a system identifier, the acquisition index, a priority, and the like. As disclosed in JP-A-2005-33378, for example, the wireless communication device selects a channel specified by the roaming list when the wireless communication device is activated or the wireless communication device cannot trace a base station, and thereby the wireless communication device traces a wireless communication system, which corresponds to the selected channel.
It is noted that a configuration of a wireless communication system communicable with the wireless communication device may be changed, for example, in a condition where:
a carrier provides an additional equipment to a conventional wireless communication system or abandons the wireless communication system;
two or more different carriers are unified into one carrier, or one carrier is divided into two or more carriers; and
two or more different carriers make a new contract. When such a configuration of a wireless communication system is changed, changed contents of the configuration needs to be reflected on the roaming list. Presently, when a carrier changes a roaming list, a network (network device) of the carrier transmits the roaming list, and thereby a wireless communication device replaces an old roaming list with the transmitted roaming list to update the roaming list.
It is noted that, even though the network of the carrier transmits the roaming list, the wireless communication device may not receive and update the roaming list when the wireless communication device moves to an area out of the communication service, or when the wireless communication device cannot sufficiently receive electric wave of the communication. In view of such a condition, a service provider provides an information service to notify a user of an unsuccessful updating condition of a roaming list. Specifically, the wireless communication device displays that the wireless communication device failed in updating of a roaming list on a display device so as to notify the user of the unsuccessful updating. In this case, the user may operate the wireless communication device and enables transmission of an update request to a network of a carrier for updating the roaming list.
In recent years, an in-vehicle wireless communication device having a mobile communication function is widely used in view of enhancement of a communication service in an interior of a vehicle. However, there is an in-vehicle wireless communication device, which does not have an indication function such as a display device. In a case where updating of a roaming list is unsuccessful, such an in-vehicle wireless communication device, which does not have an indication function such as a display device, cannot display the condition of an unsuccessful update of a roaming list. As a result, such an in-vehicle wireless communication device cannot notify a user of an unsuccessful update of a roaming list. Consequently, the in-vehicle wireless communication device may continue an operation without updating a roaming list. As a result, the in-vehicle wireless communication device may become impossible to perform wireless communication.